Indicator for cars



S. m 8 0 I m OF R mm 1% M N I q d 0 M 0 W No. 444,040. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

QRWMMM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIERRE 'J. BORIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INDICATOR FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,040, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed April 15, 1890. Serial No.348|003- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PIERRE J. BORIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Street, Steam, or other Cars, of which the following is so full, clear, and exact a description as will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective of my improved indicator with part of the casingbroken away. Fig. 2 is an end view of the interior of my i11- dicator. Fig. 3 is a perspective taken from the outside, with the casin g completely closed. Fig. 4 is a detail View of the hand-lever for operating the indicator'frorn the outside of the car.

The object of my invention is to provide an indicator which shall be cheap in construction, not likely to get out of order, and one which may be easily and quickly operated with the least expense of physical and mechanical force.

The invention consists in the novel construction of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, A designates the front of the casing, which is provided with an elongated opening A, through which may be seen the name of the street or station as it is brought down in front of the opening. The names of the streets and stations appear on the front of the canvas A which is secured at its upper end to a roller B,to one of which latter is secured a ratchetwheel B, which is adapted for engagement with apivotal escapement-lever O, to the lower end of which is pivotally secured an operating-rod D, provided at the end with a pushbutton E and at its opposite end with a catch which connects with the corresponding catch on a lever F, which is in turn operated by a hand-lever G. Between the stop E and the point where the rod and the escapement-lever are connected is a spring a, which is secured at one end to the escapement-lever and at its opposite end to the casing of the indicator. The spring a will cause the escapement-lever to automatically resume its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, when it has been tilted, either through the medium of the push-button or the hand-lever G, to allow the canvas to move'down a sufficient distance to expose the name of the next street, station, the Opposite the spring a is a pivotal tripping-lever b, which is suspended from the pivotal point c and held in position by a spring d. This tripping-lever b engages with the vertical pivotal bellhammer H, and through this medium the bell I is rung when the escapement-lever is moved sufficient to allow the name of the next street or station to show on the indicator.

The canvas A is secured at its lower end to a roller J, which roller contains a spring K and is provided with the usual ratchet mechanism to facilitate the winding of the same.

From the nature of the case the tension of the spring will be sufficient to operate the canvas, and the distance between the cogs of the ratchet-wheel B can be regulated with respect to the space occupied by a name of a street or station, so that as the escapement-lever is operated the bell will ring and the proper street or station willbe indicated, as may be readily understood. The elongated opening which is designed to expose the name of the next street or station is covered with a trans parent cover'made of glass or foliated mica or other suitable material that is transparent.

The back of the indicator box or casing is designed to be left open for the reception and accommodation of the burner of any suitable light to illuminate the names of the street or station as they are exposed to view.

When it is desired, the escapement -lever may be provided with a projecting thumbpiece M, which is virtually the continuation of the same lever through the box at the bottom. Thus the operator will be free to work the signal from both sides of the indicator and from the bottom.

The usual windingposts N N for the manipulation of the rollers and for the retention of the shaft which holds the spring will of course be provided for the manipulation of the rollers.

Having described my invention, what I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and what I therefore claim, is-

1. In an indicator of the character described,

the upper and lower rollers and the canvas containing the street-names and stations, in combination with a single ratchet-wheel and the single pivotal escapement-lever engaging directly with the ratchet-wheel, the spring for bringing the lever automatically back to its normal position, and the trip mechanism connected pivotally with said lever opposite the spring for ringing the bell, all inside of the casing. substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In an indicator of the character described, an upper roller having a ratchet-wheel and a lower roller having a spring and a canvas carrying the names of the streets and stations secured to and between rollers, in combination with a pivotal escapement-lever provided with a horizontal pivotal rod, one end of which is provided with a push-button and the opposite end provided with a catch, a link, and a hand-lever, all connected together, and a supplemental thumb-piece forming a virtual continuation of the escapemcnt-lever, all constructed and combined to operate substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In an indicator of the character described, a main casing provided with an opening having a transparent cover in front, and also provided with an open space in the rear to facilitate lighting; the same, in combination with the rollers, the canvas carrying the names of the streets and stations, and the escapement mechanism provided with operating-rods projecting from opposite sides and from the bottom adjacent to the opposite sides, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PIERRE .T. BORIS. \Yitnesses:

A. R. Swan, '1. llnvnv lniinsn. 

